Twin Peaks Review by John Keegan

Twin Peaks 3.03/3.04: The Return: Parts III-IV

Written By:Mark Frost and David Lynch

Directed By:David Lynch

If the first two parts of the new season were
too far removed from the familiar territory of Twin Peaks, the third and fourth installments serve as a bit of a
course correction. After an extended
foray into Lynchian esoterica at the beginning of the third movement, there are
extended portions that take place in Twin Peaks and involve a number of
familiar faces. The tone is still closer
to Fire Walk With Me than the
original network incarnation, but this is steps closer to the familiar ground
many of us wanted to see.

These two installments also continue to drive
home the slow but steady pacing that Lynch will likely employ for the entirety
of the third season. Scenes have a
tendency to take just a little longer than it seems like they should, pauses
are sometimes uncomfortably long, and dialogue is maddeningly vague when one
wishes for simple clarity. But that’s
exactly what any fan of Lynch has come to expect, and giving him full creative
control means his usual ticks will be on full display. (That said, it’s odd how slow scenes feel on
first viewing, only to feel much more normally paced on the repeat viewing;
this is another oddity of Lynch’s style.)

It’s slightly jarring to see how Lucy and Andy have
changed over the years. Time has not
been kind to their quirks. Andy was
always challenged by the most mundane of things, such as Scotch tape, but this
seems to have infected Lucy to a certain degree. Her inability to understand mobile phones is
a bit much, but even so, it feels mildly tragic. Not to mention that their son Wally is a chip
off the old block. As they stand at
either side of Wally, beaming with inexplicable pride, he drones one of the
most pretentious monologues ever. It’s
impossible to tell if he’s sincere or knowingly pushing Truman’s buttons, but
it’s a scene that is pure Twin Peaks
in its absurdity.

This level of absurdity is outmatched by the
long yet memorable stretches of Cooper in the form of Dougie Jones, a separate
copy of Cooper that Dark Cooper apparently created specifically to prevent a
pure swap, which would have resulted in Dark Cooper’s return to the Black
Lodge. Let’s set aside how that happened
for a moment; it’s not exactly explained in full detail anyway. The point is that Cooper comes back
incomplete, and his short stint as “Mr. Jackpot” is ridiculous in so many
wonderful and quotable ways.

Yet the more telling aspect of Cooper’s return
is that Dougie’s family seems to take the obvious physical and mental changes
to their husband and father in stride.
It’s actually a bit off-putting that Janey-E Jones doesn’t seem to
realize that her husband has undergone a radical change, which probably speaks
volumes about the state of their marriage.
Right now, it’s hard to say when Cooper will be fully restored, but one
can hope that his tenure as “Dougie” will be limited. It would be hard to imagine that Cooper’s
restoration would take the entire 18-part journey, even if it’s increasingly
clear that Kyle MacLachlan is going to be front and center the vast majority of
the time.

One of the interesting side effects of such a
long and detailed examination of Cooper’s return to the “real world” is the
liberal use of visual cues. When Mike
(the one-armed man) appears to tell Cooper that he was tricked, the visual is
remarkably similar to a scene from the original series where Maddie Ferguson
(Laura Palmer’s look-alike cousin) sees a vision of blood on the carpet,
presaging her death. Even more fitting,
there are two different instances that call back to the final moments of the
second season finale, in which Dark Cooper sees the reflection of Killer Bob in
a bathroom mirror. Despite all the signs
that this Cooper is the real one, simply rendered a bit helpless, there’s a
tension as the audience waits to see if the other shoe will drop.

Perhaps more significant is the focus in Part
IV on Gordon, Albert, and new arrival Tamara Preston, previously referenced in
Mark Frost’s novel The Secret History of
Twin Peaks. It’s interesting how Gordon’s character is given more depth
now, considering that he is played by Lynch himself, and one would be tempted
to believe that the expanded role for Gordon is move motivated by vanity. I suspect it has more to do with
practicality, similar to how much of the material is designed to maximize Kyle
MacLachlan’s involvement.

It’s also pretty clear that Lynch is more than
willing to give Gordon some flaws, and even be a bit subversive in commenting
on how things have changed in the world since the original series aired. Even as Tamara’s feminine form is used as
gaze-bait for Gordon and Albert, it’s strongly suggested that Tamara is playing
Gordon to an extent, not unlike how Audrey Horne weaponized those tight
sweaters once upon a time. Gordon admits
to being “old school” without necessarily defending it, which I’m sure will be
a point of discussion among many, given that it’s a very fine line.

It would come across as far more sexist and
even misogynist if much of Twin Peaks
wasn’t invested in a damning commentary on the way women are treated and
convinced to treat themselves. Gordon’s
attitude is archaic, but it’s worth noting that his blatant ogling is countered
by his respect for Denise as the head of the FBI and his disgust for those who
abuse or disparage women as lesser beings.
“Change your hearts or die” was his demand when others attacked Denise
for her gender, something he reminds Denise about, even as he himself is rather
gently chastised for his own sexism. It’s
complicated and even somewhat problematic, but Lynch is also putting it front
and center, forcing the audience to consider the implications and the flaws of
his own character.

Part IV also included the return of Bobby
Briggs, who seems to have realized at least some of the promise that his father
foresaw during the original two seasons.
Bobby works for the new Sheriff Truman now (the brother of Harry Truman,
who is supposedly “ill”), which puts him on the right side of the law now, at
least as it currently appears. When he
breaks down at the sight of Laura’s infamous homecoming queen portrait, the
years simply drop away. Such moments
provide the emotional and nostalgic touchstones that many fans want to see.

Our Grade:

B+

The Good:

Both parts are laced with plenty of nostalgic moments from old friends

Cooper’s stint as “Mr. Jackpot” is filled with hilarious and quotable moments

The Bad:

The slower pacing, while one of Lynch’s hallmarks, can feel gratuitous at times

John Keegan aka "criticalmyth", is one of the hosts of the "Critical Myth" podcast heard here on VOG Network's radio feed Monday, Wednesday & Friday. You can follow him on twitter at @criticalmyth

Your Responses

skieCONCURRING OPINION

Grade: A-

Helllooooo-ooooooooo!!!
Agree the scene with Wally was rooouuughhh... I get that it was an homage to Marlon Brando but I hope that character serves a better purpose. Otherwise I liked that "the point" seemed to come together a LITTLE (just a little) clearer in eps 3 and 4. I also enjoyed the Denise Bryson cameo- hope we get some more quick "where are they now" resolutions to minor characters besides just a wink and a nod across the bar like in episode 2.

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